The journey of love has come to an end for Chris Harrison and his wife Gwen Jones.

The host of The Bachelor and his wife of 18 years announced Thursday they were divorcing. “Though we have made this incredibly difficult decision to separate, our love and mutual respect remain, and we look forward to sharing in the lives of our wonderful children,” they said in a statement to People. The former high school sweethearts, who live in California, have two children together, ages nine and seven.

As the host and the emotional rock of The Bachelor — the dating series with television’s most dismal track record for successful relationships — Harrison has long given viewers across America hope that true love was possible, even while his contestants continually proved otherwise. Throughout the show’s 16 seasons of tumultuous rose ceremonies, public break-ups and broken engagements, Harrison stood by and helped coach countless men and women on how to find love. Sure, pretty much all of the couples associated with the show called it quits, but for many fans, Harrison remained a shining example of the power of long-term partnership. Our hearts weep for the future of love on the small screen.